Observations on professional development and library experience of a special collections librarian.

About

My name is Kathryn (Katie) Kuntz. I am a Library Associate I at Rapid City Public Library. Primarily, I work in public services and reference where I am able to interact with patrons on a one-on-one basis answering their information needs. In addition to these responsibilities, I perform original and copy cataloging, editing audio and creating videos for oral histories, and cataloging materials housed in the Rapid City Historical Collection Room’s local history archives. I graduated from Indiana University with a Master of Library Science with a specialization in rare book and manuscript librarianship. I had the immense pleasure of working at the Lilly Library and the other wonderful libraries in the IU Libraries System. I learned a wide range of theory and practical skills from my course work, internships and jobs.

I earned a Bachelor of Science in History and English from Black Hills State University nestled in the heart of the Northern Black Hills. My course work provided me with fundamental knowledge about European, American, Asian, and Ancient history and cultures. My History and English degrees complemented each other because of the close and correlative relationship found in literature and history.

In the library sphere, I am interested in collection development and management, cataloging, descriptive bibliography, exhibition designing, reference services, and outreach and instruction, particularly related to special collections. I have always been interested in literature and history, so a career as a librarian fits me well. I love the atmosphere library and other cultural institutions imbue. Historical and cultural institutions offer an essential service to their communities by providing access and preserving artifacts significant to humanity. I hope to continue working in either a library or museum setting, so I can further nourish my curiosity, in these fields and others, and participate in the great service of librarianship.